Getting the Message Across – the Power of Words

Here at Direct Letterbox Marketing, we’re no stranger to the power of a few well-chosen words, and we’ve already spent a fair bit of time talking about how to use things like copy and typography to your advantage. You may not instantly think that the exact words you choose to place on a flyer would make too much of a difference, and the way that you place these words tends to receive even less publicity. However, as we’ve demonstrated, words are extremely powerful tools, and never fail to make an impact when they’re used correctly. Getting your words right gets your message across.

One New Word…Six Thousand Searches

One currently trending topic on the internet demonstrates the power of words beyond any doubt. Take a moment to think about how many words there are in the English language alone. Yep, that’s right, there’s a lot. It’s very hard to count the number of words in any one language, but, if you’re interested, English is thought to contain more than 1 million words. So be honest, how excited would you be if another word was added to that colossal number? We’re guessing you wouldn’t be bowled over, but the advent of a single new Chinese word has ‘taken the internet by storm’.

You can read more about this incredibly hot topic on the BBC website, but by way of a brief overview, the character in question is named ‘duang’, and it doesn’t even exist yet in any known dictionary. It really is that recent. It’s being described as a ‘break the internet viral meme’, as it has been used 8 million times on Weibo, and a Twitter hashtag featuring ‘duang’ started over 300,000 discussions. Chinese online searches have clocked the word around 600,000 times, and it’s also starting to make its presence known in the West; it seems everyone is getting in on the ‘duang-ing’.

To Duang…or not to Duang…

Now do you want to know the really odd bit?

Nobody even knows what the word ‘duang’ means.

That’s right, the internet is going crazy over a word that doesn’t even have a concrete meaning. Apparently, the word is an onomatopoeic term that was based around an expression used by Jackie Chan in a 2004 shampoo commercial, but no set translation yet exists. It appears to be able to be used as an adjective, but nobody is 100% sure. All that’s certain is that it is causing a major stir.

Your Words ARE IMPORTANT

So there you go; however you approach this story, and whatever you get out of it, the simple fact is that words are important. Really important. If one new word can bring the internet to a virtual standstill, then how much more important are the words used in a marketing strategy? You can distribute flyers all you like, but if the words on the page are against you, your message won’t be heard. Inversely, if your words resonate with your clients, the sky’s the limit in terms of exposure.

At Direct Letterbox, we’re not only specialist providers of leaflet delivery, but we can also help you design your flyers too. This means that we can help you to get your words, graphics and layout spot on, so who knows, perhaps one day, you too can watch your own message going ‘viral’ on the high streets. Aiming high with your marketing strategy is essential, and we can help to maximise the impact of your leaflets. If you’d like to find out more, contact us today by calling 0800 028 6353.